This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to fluid handling, and, more particularly, to systems and methods for utilizing an isobaric pressure exchanger (IPX) in pressurizing water for injection in secondary recovery of hydrocarbons from reservoirs or for waste water disposal.
A variety of fluids may be used in the production or recovery of hydrocarbons (e.g., oil and gas) from the earth. For example, during oil and gas production, produced water (i.e., water separated from a fluid including hydrocarbons) may be utilized in water injection to maintain pressure in a well or raise pressure in wells that do not produce hydrocarbons under natural pressure. Typically, heavy water injection pumps and associated power generation equipment are utilized to inject the water (e.g., produced water) at a high pressure and a high flow rate into an injection well (e.g., enhanced recovery well, disposal well, etc.). Similar equipment and methods may also be used for waste water disposal. This equipment has a large footprint and requires significant power. On off-shore oil platforms, space, weight capacity, and power resources are limited. In addition, water injection pumps are unreliable, costly, and difficult to service due to their size and complexities.